In a message dated 6/1/98 4:58:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
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<< I'm a first year beekeeper in the midlands, and would like some information
 relating to the local nectar flows.   The last couple weeks have been dry
 and hot and it looks like we've seen the last of the spring flow.
 
 Could anyone give me information relating to the 'average' flows. Spring
 and Fall, Start and stop months,
 
 I understand the flows vary from year to year, but some general information
 would be greatly appreciated. >>
 
    South Carolina flows tend to run early. Here on the coast, we are usually
done with spring flows by mid-May. Our flows start around the end of March
with huckleberry, wild plum and holly, tupelo in mid-April, dewberry and
blackberry mid to late April, and gallberry in early May. Here and there we'll
pick up some late flows from privit and ti-ti.
 
   Spring is the main honey production time. Anything else you can get will be
gravy, but don't count on getting it.
 
   Then we have a barren time through June. In your area, you probably won't
have the swamp flows (tupelo), and you'll probably extend the spring season a
little longer with sparkleberry and vetch. Sparkleberry likes sandy spots, so
you may have quite a bit of that.  If you have a lot of ironweed, you may get
a flow from that. It will be dark, but mellow honey.
 
    In late June or early July, you should start getting sumac. Most of the
later summer flows will be from brush. If you have logged over land that has
had a few years to start regrowth and hasn't had all the hardwoods poisoned to
stimulate the pines, you may get late July and August flows. These are spotty
and never amount to a lot of honey; some of it may be bitter, so you have to
sort what you want to extract.
 
   Sometimes here in the low country, the bees dwindle so much from the heat
and from pesticide knockdowns, that it takes a good fall flow to build them
back up, and they really don't give much to the beekeeper.  If you find the
bees have dwindled in colony strength, and don't have much provisions, don't
wait until late fall to feed them. Give them a gallon or two of syrup in late
August to stimulate them. Then they'll be built up FOR the fall flow, rather
than building up ON the fall flow. The main fall flow is usually in early
October, with goldenrod and aster. You may have some fall blooming spanish
needle, as well.
 
   At that time, you want to have lots of young bees, and you want them to
store away lots of clean (pesticide free) pollen for winter cold spells, as
well as a super of honey for their winter energy needs.
 
   If you live near suburban developments, all of this may be irrelevant, as
the bees can work ornamental plantings. Many of these are non-native plants.
Some yield a lot; some yield nothing.  I have a few hives in town, and find
they will sometimes get a flow when nothing in the country is coming in. Since
these are always small and localized flows, I don't know what plants provide
them.
 
   If you have cotton near you, and possibly if you have veggie farms or
aerial mosquito applications, you may get poisoned bees. The problem comes
when applicators violate the label directions and apply insecticide when bees
are visiting the blossoms. We have had severe damage from cotton applications.
Last year we had little, because of the use of genetic engineered cotton that
didn't require spraying during the early bloom period. But I don't know if the
genetic engineering will continue. Many farmers were glad to spray less, but
disappointed with the yield.
 
   If you get a chance, stop and visit us when you come by the coast. In
Hemingway, just ask for "the bee man."   We also sell nucs in the spring, if
you'd like to expand. A number of midland and upstate beekeepers come down to
get bees each year.
 
   Check out pollination on our web pages.
 
 
Dave Green
http://www.pollinator.com